Calzaghe will fight in front of his home fans in Cardiff

Danish-based Kenyan Ashira is ranked 10th by the WBO and has lost just one of his 25 professional fights.

The bout is intended as a warm-up for Calzaghe before a planned unification bout with IBF champion Jeff Lacy.

Lacy's promoter told BBC Sport on Thursday that the deal for a 5 November fight will be signed early next week.

Said Gary Shaw: "My understanding is it will go ahead at the Excel Arena in London. The sight belongs to (Calzaghe's promoter) Frank Warren.

The talk is all about facing Lacy...but for now I'm focused solely on my title defence against Ashira Joe Calzaghe

"Wherever he chooses he's going to find Gary Shaw and Jeff Lacy. We will be there on November 5th.

"I am drawing the contracts as we speak. My attorney is flying over this weekend and I hope for Frank to sign on Monday or Tuesday."

Of course, the unification fight will come to nothing unless Calzaghe extends his unbeaten record with victory over Ashira.

Ashira beat the previously unbeaten Quentin Smith in his last fight and Calzaghe says views him as "a dangerous threat to my title reign, unbeaten record and future".

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The 33-year-old Welshman added: "The talk is all about facing Lacy and I'll deal with him next, but for now I'm focused solely on my title defence against Ashira.

"There's no way I'm going down the same road as Bernard Hopkins and Kostya Tszyu, both long reigning world champions, who took their eye of the ball and were looking at the big fights ahead of them and then lost."

Amir Khan will make his second professional appearance on the undercard against Baz Carey.

Belfast's Neil Sinclair and Cardiff's Lee 'Taz' Jones will also meet for the Vacant Celtic crown.